Reverse Psychology
by briroch
Summary: A humorous one shot, inspired by a writer's challenge, the prompt is printed bold. So, what was the question, will Mike get the answer he is looking for?


_**A/N:**__Thank you, Tanith 2011 for you help and support with your Beta reading and Meixel for the intriguing prompt (printed bold). And a big thank you for all my readers and reviewers who keep me writing._

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not won the characters, I merely borrow them and try and return them in one piece!_

**Reverse Psychology**

It was plain and obvious for every onlooker that there was trouble brewing between Lieutenant Mike Stone and his younger partner Steve Keller. The Lieutenant had the young man cornered and was talking to him in a raised and angry voice. Their colleague Bill Tanner, who passed them in the hall, winced. It was never pleasant being at the receiving end of Mike's tongue lashing, and they were all aware that any scolding Steve was likely to receive would generally be more severe than one directed at the older colleagues. Bill winked at Steve sympathetically and walked on. _The price you pay for being Mike's Buddy Boy… _

"Mike - Mike!" Steve tried to get a word in but his mentor was not willing to listen.

"Issues with trust and jumping to unjust conclusions…," Mike snorted.** "Before we get into all this, I just want an answer!" he barked. **

"An answer to what?" Steve asked innocently.

"Don't play the idiot child now, out with it!"

"With what?" Steve tried to stall again, though he knew he was threading on thin ice already, while his mind worked feverishly on a strategy.

"An answer to the question: _Did you reverse into the Commissioner's car?"_

"Reverse into the Commissioner's car?" Steve repeated, playing for time again.

"I'm delighted you haven't lost command of all your senses. Your hearing seems to be alright. Yes, I'm talking about the Commissioner's car, you got that right. And now an answer, before I forget myself and do something that _**you**_ might regret." Mike grabbed the lapels of Steve's jacket. "A simple yes or no will do."

"No," was Steve's simple answer.

"No?" Mike sounded doubtful.

"No," Steve said with determination. "Mike, would I lie to you?"

The older man let go of Steve's lapels and patted them back into place. He studied his protégé's face carefully. No, Steve wouldn't lie to him, but sometimes he had this irritating habit of concealing part of the truth…

Steve let out the breath he had been holding. _That almost went too well. Uh oh, interrogation: part two!_

"Okay, buddy boy, let me just recap. You did not reverse into the Commissioner's car, so the dent in his fender and the dent and broken rear light on your car are just a coincidence." Mike's voice was deceptively friendly.

Steve nodded. "I guess so!"

"And is it also a coincidence that the locations of both dents are a perfect match and the scratches in the Commissioner's paintwork are contaminated with colour particles that also happen to match your car?" Mike inquired.

"Mike, all I can say is that I didn't reverse into the Commissioner's car!" Steve protested. "I can't believe you are doubting my word!" His tone was all hurt-innocence. "You doubt me just because there are some circumstantial evidence stacked against me!"

Mike eyed him suspiciously and this time got hold of Steve's tie. "The truth, now!"

"For the last time, I did not reverse into the commissioner's car!" the younger man almost shouted now.

"Okay, let me rephrase the question. Did your car and the Commissioner's car collide, somehow?"

Steve looked Mike in the eye and nodded. Mike let go of Steve's tie to wring his hands. Steve reached up and loosened his tie with a sigh of relief.

"Sweet Jesus, are you telling me that the Commissioner rear ended you without noticing?"

Steve shook his head. Mike felt like shaking him until he could extract the story. "Did you leave the car in neutral and forgot the handbrake?"

Steve shook his head again.

"Spit it out now, or….?" The older man growled.

"Mike," Steve started to explain once more. "_**I**_ didn't reverse the car and_** I**_ didn't drive the car! But that is all I will say."

All of a sudden things fell into place for Mike. "You fool, how could you let Jeannie drive your car? She doesn't drive stick and she has never driven such a high powered car before!"

Steve looked at him wide eyed. "How did you know? Did you see us?"

Mike sighed. "I know you and I know my daughter and I'm well aware she has been pestering you to let her drive your car."

Steve looked down, shamefacedly. "That's why I thought I'd let her try out the car in the parking lot rather than out on the road, you know…" He looked up hopefully. "She's really good, she only got confused between first gear and reverse, once."

Mike grabbed Steve's neck and shook him. "Only once you say, and right into the Commissioner's new car!"

"Mike, I promised her I'd fix it somehow but she asked me not to lie for her." Steve pleaded.

Mike shook his head. "My daughter… and my partner. Partners in crime! And I'm responsible for both the investigation of the fender bender and you two dim-witted children."

"I'll just say I did it. I'll get a bit of a ribbing from the colleagues about my driving…," Steve offered.

Mike loosened the grip on Steve's neck and gave him a pat instead. He knew how proud the young cop was of his excellent driving skills and how much such a false admission must hurt him.

"I wouldn't let Jeannie get into any trouble, you know," Steve assured eagerly.

Mike hesitated. "I guess. But it doesn't mean the both of you are in the clear as far as _I _am concerned." He thought for a moment. "Okay, buddy boy, we have to play this right and make a plan. Come with me!"

The two detectives were still huddled in a corner, when the Commissioner's door opened and the man himself exited, followed by a familiar young woman dabbing her dry eyes with a handkerchief that half hid her face and the smile on it.

"Ah, Mike! I'm taking your daughter for a cup of coffee to calm her down, poor girl got so upset over nothing, just a little scratch in the fender!"

Mike and Steve looked at each other, then at Jeannie who winked secretly at Steve.

"But Mike, you really should have taught your daughter to drive stick much earlier and you, Keller, don't give up the day job yet to start a career as a driving instructor!"

The last thing they heard before the Commissioner and Jeannie disappeared around the corner was "…and when you have calmed down we'll go for a drive in my car and I'll teach you the gears in no time!"


End file.
